Not your regular fruitcake

RECIPE FINDER

Verla Felts of Whiteford is seeking a carrot cake, sometimes referred to as a carrot fruitcake. "It is not like a regular fruitcake. It is very moist and not as rich. We love it."

Elizabeth McClintock of Keizer, Ore., responded. "Seeing the request, I couldn't help but stop and copy the recipe I have had and used for the last 60 or more years! One day a very dear neighbor of ours gave us our first taste of her carrot cake.

"That was long before most people had heard of `carrot cake' and Pillsbury hadn't put any in a box! I was a little skeptical of eating cake with carrots in it, but what a wonderful surprise. [This all happened on Army Street in San Francisco long, long ago. ... ]

"Our grown son and daughter have their own homes and each of their kitchens produce our carrot cake. Do hope that you will publish this recipe for more to enjoy!"

Carrot Fruitcake

Serves 12 to 16

1 1/3 cups cold water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup raisins

2 cups raw, grated carrots

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup glaced fruit mix

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix first 9 ingredients in saucepan and boil 5 minutes; let cool. When cool, add flour, baking soda, salt and nuts. Line 1 ring-form or 2 loaf pans with buttered waxed paper. Pour in batter and bake in slow oven, 275 degrees or less, 75 minutes to 90 minutes. Cool on wire rack, unmold from ring form or loaf pans, and loosen waxed paper (but retain the liner if you plan to freeze the cake, which freezes well).

Paper can be trimmed decoratively with pinking shears if you aim to give the cake as a gift. Cake can be eaten immediately or kept, wrapped tightly, in a cool, dark place.

Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "The cake is actually better and moister after a couple days, when the flavors have melded. It is dense and studded with dried fruit and nuts, like a fruitcake, but with the nice texture and flavor of a carrot cake.

"It's the fruitcake for people who don't like fruitcake! I used two medium loaf pans, which took approximately 80 minutes before the tops of the cakes sprang back to the touch."

Linda Magee of Baltimore is seeking a recipe for "the rum sauce like that served at Horn and Horn on their bread pudding."

Darlene Griffith of Keizer, Ore., says she is seeking a recipe for "tiramisu like the Nona Cucina's restaurant in Salem, Ore., served. The restaurant is now closed and we cannot find a recipe like it."

If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278. If you send more than one recipe, please put each on a separate sheet of paper with your name, address and daytime phone number. Names must accompany recipes for them to be published. Letters may be edited for clarity.